Nobodys Perfect by Pat Ballard
Pat Ballard Does It Again!
Nella Covington cant believe shes agreed to marry the arrogant Samuel L.
du Cannon, even if it is only a marriage for convenience. He needs a
mother for his small son, and she needs to keep her beloved childhood
home. But will she be able to stand his egotistical attitude? His
domineering manner?
But Jake is such a darling little boy! And hes already captured her heart.
What does she have to lose? If Sams work keeps him on the road enough,
she wont have to deal with him much at all. Maybe - this just might work.
All Sam du Cannon wants is a good mom for his son. Hes had it with
women. Doesnt ever plan to get involved with another woman again. That
makes Nella perfect for him. Hes never been overly attracted to plus-size
women, so if Nella agrees to marry him, he wont have to worry about being
tempted to have a relationship with her.

At least, thats what he keeps telling himself.
Personal Review: Nobodys Perfect by Pat Ballard
A few years ago, the editor-in-chief of a well-known publishing house gave
a speech at our chamber of commerce's annual dinner for women in
business. She "confessed" that reading romance novels is her favorite
form of stress relief. Her talk was so convincing, I vowed to give them a
second look. Okay, maybe a third, fourth or fifth look. Let's face it.
Romance novels do not have a good reputation among "serious" readers
and writers. They're not "literary," whatever that means. And the covers
feature shirtless Fabio look-alikes embracing beautiful women in various
stages of undress. Our public library shelves them in a separate section
and places hot pink stickers on their spines, lest a hapless browser pick
one up by mistake. The stickers also identify them to their legions of
female fans, who must know something.
I enjoyed that editor's speech, but I still didn't read romance novels, until I
heard about Pat Ballard's books. She calls them "motivational romances"
with Big, Beautiful Heroines. Curious, I picked up a copy of Nobody's
Perfect and spent several hours intrigued and enthralled.
In the novel, the love interests are Nella Covington and Samuel L.
duCannon. Are those perfect names for a romance or what? Nella is a
young woman in her mid-twenties who has long since given up trying to be
thin. She takes good care of herself, eats healthy foods and exercises. The
women in her family were heavy and she is no exception. But Nella goes
beyond just accepting herself. In this novel, she uses her size to her
advantage.
We see her save a child from drowning by using her strong arms and
skillful swimming. She helps a young wife frustrated by constant dieting
make herself over with makeup, a new hairdo and clothes, without losing a
single pound. When the woman worries she might go back to feeling
discouraged about gaining weight, Nella gives her a gentle pep talk. "You
see what you can be if you want to, and it's your decision whether you
spend your days looking your best, or looking your worst. That's a decision
we all have to make each day. You're no different than anyone else."
Of course, romance novels have a predictable formula. That's why so
many women love them; it's reassuring to know the good characters will
win. After a few adventures and problems, the heroine always gets the
good guy, and this book delivers that, too. But first, we have evil in-laws, a
family home in jeopardy and a little boy who needs a mother. Nowhere
does Nella play the helpless female. She is strong yet vulnerable, powerful
yet seductive.
And Pat Ballard sure knows how to write a good sex scene. Be
forewarned: this story is definitely rated R, and the heroine's large size
adds to her attractiveness. What a switch from the message aimed at
women in magazines and television!
Although the ending was pre-ordained (remember, it's a romance novel), I
didn't guess how the author would wrap it up. I lost myself in the story and

thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. In other words, I had fun. If you read
Nobody's Perfect, I predict you will, too. I also predict you will be left with
some very thought-provoking ideas about what our society's ideal body
image does to every woman's self-esteem.
(Previously published at www.storycircle.org)
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